Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter

The Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter has been developed by the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) Decent Work Taskforce as one of the components to mobilizing a collective effort to achieve greater recognition and improved compensation and working conditions for those employed in the sector.

The primary purpose of this Charter is to promote a vision for decent work within organizational cultures in the early childhood sector (child care, child and family programs, licenced home child care, full-day kindergarten, etc). This requires organizations to commit to pursuing the development of high quality jobs and the structures, policies and practices to support organizations and individuals in implementing the principles that contribute to decent work.

When organizations commit to the principles of decent work, they are creating quality workplace environments that will in turn support the foundations that underpin individual, family and community well-being. These include the economic and social structures that promote improved child outcomes.

Values to Guide Our Action

While the Four Foundations for Learning in Ontario’s pedagogical document, How Does Learning Happen? is aimed to guide the work of professionals in their work with children and families, we believe that these four foundations are also aligned with the value of the workforce itself;

BELONGING: Recognition of staff as valued professionals

WELL BEING: Professional Pay/Compensation

ENGAGEMENT: Professional Learning

EXPRESSION: Quality work environments

Defining Decent Work

Recognition of staff as valued professionals: Commitment to establish and maintain structures and resources internally and externally that recognize the critical role early childhood staff perform in the delivery of quality programs.

Professional Pay/Compensation: Commitment to establish and maintain strategies to provide professional pay for professional work.

Professional Learning: Commitment to establish and maintain structures and resources to support early childhood professionals in all aspects of ongoing professional learning.

Quality work environments: Commitment to establish and maintain structures and resources that promote belonging, inclusion, diversity, well-being, engagement and expression in the work environment.

As an early childhood sector employer/organization we are signing this charter to confirm our commitment to advancing policy reforms needed to improve working conditions for all. We recognize the principles of decent work as integral to achieving quality programs and services for children and their families.

As leaders in our communities we will champion practices that promote and sustain decent work, and will join with our community partners, sector networks, associations, policymakers and funders to generate collective actions that expand decent working conditions.

(programs and organizations can officially endorse the Charter below or by emailing their endorsement to info@aeceo.ca)

Will your organization endorse the Charter??

Featured endorsements

Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario - Lena DaCosta,

Showing 67 reactions

Ann Gaytano-Santos
endorsed
via Amy O'Neil2018-05-10 11:31:34 -0400

I support the Ontario Early Childhood Sector Decent Work Charter because it details our needs which are consistent with the needs of the children who are under our care, a sense of belongingness, well-being, engagement, and expression.

Cheryl de Slegte RECE
endorsed
2018-02-11 12:36:50 -0500

1) still seen as ‘glorified babysitters’, the professional role of RECEs need to be recognised PUBLICLY; 2) colleges need to set the bar higher for quality future ECEs; 3) ‘high staff turnover’ should to be a component of regional licensing

Footsteps Family Centre
endorsed
2018-02-02 09:59:26 -0500

Allama Iqbal Open University
endorsed
2018-01-30 00:10:26 -0500

I want to overview your researchers in the field of Early Childhood Education.

I would like to see the Government recognize the importance of RECE’s and start treating them as valuable professionals comparable to teachers without prejudice . They deserve to get equal professional pay for the hard work they do on a daily basis. The early years are the most important years of child development. These children are the future .

We appreciate this opportunity to have our voices heard as Professionals. By working together we can hopefully get the recognition we deserve for the valuable service and expertise we offer to our communities, cities and Province.